Barcelona attacker Malcom is reportedly being monitored by Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, amidst the player’s concerns over the lack of game time.
According to a report from Spanish outlet Sport, Barcelona star Malcom could be on his way out of the club only months after joining the club, amid interest from Premier League giants Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
Malcom joined hands with Barcelona only this past summer, with the Catalans beating Serie A outfit AS Roma to sign the forward from Ligue 1 side Bordeuax. However, things haven’t exactly worked out for the talented Brazilian at Camp Nou, with game time hardly coming his way under manager Ernesto Valverde.
The 21-year-old sensation has made just two appearances for the reigning La Liga champions in his debut campaign, totalling up to just 25 minutes on the field. He was omitted from the matchday squad by the manager for Barcelona’s 4-2 win over Sevilla on Saturday night.
Lionel Messi’s injury in the weekend encounter could pave way for more involvement for the Brazilian. But, he still has to compete with Ousmane Dembele for a starting spot. With the player understandably growing frustrated with his situation, Arsenal and Tottenham are set to offer him an escape route in January.
The two North London outfits were keen on signing the 21-year-old in the summer transfer window as well, only to be beaten in the race by Barca. However, they are now hoping to capitalise on the attacker’s current predicament, by making a move to sign him in the winter window.
Arsenal’s attack has been firing on all cylinders this season under new manager Unai Emery, with star strikers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette in fine nick, while the likes of Alex Iwobi, Danny Welbeck, Aaron Ramsey and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have also been making valuable contributions.
However, the dearth of natural wingers in the squad is something which the manager is keen on addressing at the earliest and Malcom would fit the bill perfectly for Arsenal.
Same goes for Arsenal’s bitter rivals Tottenham too, who also lack an archetypal wide player in their ranks. Spurs’ boss Mauricio Pochettino uses Son Heung-min and Christian Eriksen on the flanks in his 4-2-3-1 setup, but both the players prefer to cut in rather than hugging the touchlines, while the manager has preferred to deploy Lucas Moura in a central role for the most part.
And, signing someone like Malcom, who has the capability to mix it up in the wide areas and can chip in with goals and assists regularly, would add an alternate dimension to Tottenham’s attacking contingent. The report from Sport claims that Spurs, who did not make any signings in the summer, are willing to offer as much as €50 million to land their man.
Along with Arsenal and Tottenham, Serie A heavyweights Inter Milan are also believed to be monitoring Malcom’s situation. While things may have not begun too well for the 21-year-old at Barcelona, there is no doubt that he is an immensely talented player with loads of potential. So, it seems unlikely that the Catalans would look to offload the attacker mere months after signing him.
